Source:
The Paston Letters. 1422-1509 A.D., Volume 1, compiled by Edward Arber and James Gairdner, 1872
The Paston letters: a selection illustrating English social life in the fifteenth century, edited by M. D. Jones, 1922
The letter:
Ryth worchipful hosbon, I recomande me to yow, desyryng hertely to her of yowr wilfar, thanckyng God of yowr a mendyng of the grete dysese that ye have hade; and I thancke yow for the letter that ye sent me, for be my trowthe my moder and I wer nowth in hertys es fro the tyme that we woste of yowr sekenesse, tyl we woste verely of your a mendyng. My moder be hestyd a nodyr ymmage of wax of the weytte of yow to oyer Lady of Walsyngham, and sche sent iiij. nobelys to the iiij. Orderys of Frerys at Norweche to pray for yow, and I have be hestyd to gon on pylgreymmays to Walsingham, and to Sent Levenardys for yow; be my trowth I had never so hevy a sesyn as I had from the tyme that I woste of yowr sekenesse tyl I woste of yowr a mendyng, and zyth myn hert is in no grete esse, ne nowth xal be, tyl I wott that ze ben very hal. Your fader and myn was dysday sevenyth at Bekelys for a matyr of the Pryor of Bromholme, and he lay at Gerlyston that nyth, and was ther tyl it was ix. of the cloke, and the toder day. And I sentte thedyr for a goune, and my moder seyde that I xulde have dan, tyl I had be ther a non, and so thei cowde non gete.
My fader Garneyss senttee me worde dat he xulde ben her the nexch weke, and my emme also, and pleyn hem her with herr hawkys, and thei xulde have me hom with hem; and so God help me, I xal exscusse me of myn goyng dedyr yf I may, for I sopose that I xal redelyer have tydyngs from yow herr dan I xulde have ther. I xal sende my moder a tokyn that sche toke me, for I sopose the time is cum that I xulde sendeth her, yf I kepe the be hest that I have made; I sopose I have tolde yow wat it was. I pray yow hertely that [ye] wol wochesaf to sende me a letter as hastely as ze may, yf wryhyn be non dysesse to yow, and that ye wollen wochesaf to sende me worde quowe your sor dott. Yf I mythe have had my wylle, I xulde a seyne yow er dystyme; I wolde ye wern at home, yf it wer your ese, and your sor myth ben as wyl lokyth to her as it tys ther ze ben, now lever dan a goune zow it wer of scarlette. I pray yow yf your sor be hol, and so that ze may indur to ryde, wan my fader com to London, that ze wol askyn leve, and com hom wan the hors xul be sentte hom a zeyn, for I hope ze xulde be kepte as tenderly herr as ze ben at London. I may non leyser have to do wrytyn half a quarter so meche as I xulde sey to yow yf I myth speke with yow. I xall sende yow a nothyr letter as hastely as I may. I thanke yow that ze wolde wochesaffe to remember my gyrdyl, and that ze wolde wryte to me at the tyme, for I sopose that wrytyng was non esse to yow. All myth God have yow in his kepyn, and sende yow helth. Wretyn at Oxenede, in ryth grete hast, on Sent Mikyllys Evyn.
Yorys,
M. PASTON.
Yorys,
M. PASTON.
My modyr grette yow wel, and sendyth yow Goddys blyssyng and hers; and sche prayeth yow, and I pray yow also, that ye be wel dyetyd of mete and drynke, for that is the gretteste helpe that ye may have now to your helthe ward. Your sone faryth wel, blyssyd be God.
With modernised spelling (from source 2):
Right Worshipful husband, I recommend me to you, desiring heartily to hear of your welfare, thanking God for your amending of the great disease that ye have had; and I thank you for the letter that ye sent me, for by my troth my mother and I were nought in heart's ease from the time that we wist of your sickness, till we wist verily of your amending. My mother behested another image of wax of the weight of you to our Lady of Walsingham, and she sent four nobles to the four orders of friars at Norwich to pray for you, and I have behested to go on a pilgrimage to Walsingham and to St. Leonard's for you; by my troth I had never so heavy a season as I had from the time that I wist of your sickness till I wist of your amending, and yet my heart is in no great ease, nor shall be, till I weet that ye be very whole. Your father and mine was this day sev'night at Beccles for a matter of the Prior of Bromholm, and he lay at Gelderstone that night, and was there till it was nine of the clock, and the other day. And I sent thither for a gown, and my mother said that I should none have then till I had been there anon, and so they could none get.
My father Garneys sent me word that he should have been here the next week, and my emme also, and play them here with their hawks, and they should have me home with them, and so God help me, I shall excuse myself from going thither if I may, for I suppose that I shall more readily have tidings from you here than I should have there. I shall send my mother a token that she took me, for I suppose the time is come that I should send it her, if I keep the behest that I have made; I suppose I have told you what it was. I pray you heartily that ye will vouchsafe to send me a letter as hastily as ye may, if writing be none disease to you, and that ye will vouchsafe to send me word how your sore do. If I might have had my will, I should have seen you ere this time; I would ye were at home, if it were your ease, and your sore might be as well looked to here as it is there ye be now, lever than a gown, though it were of scarlet. I pray you if your sore be whole so that ye may endure to ride when my father comes to London, that ye will ask leave and come home when the horse should be sent home again, for I hope ye shall be kept as tenderly here as ye be at London. I may none leisure have to do write half a quarter so much as I should say to you if I might speak with you. I shall sende you another letter as hastily as I may. I thank you that ye would vouchsafe to remember my girdle, and that ye would write to me at the time, for I suppose that writing was none ease to you. Almighty God have you in his keeping, and send you health. Written at Oxnead, in right great haste, on Saint Michael's even.
Yours,
M. PASTON.
Yours,
M. PASTON.
My mother greet you well, and sendeth you God's blessing and hers; and she prayeth you, and I pray you also, that ye be well dieted of meat and drink, for that is the greatest help that ye may have now to your healthward. Your son fareth well, blessed be God.
Notes: sev'night (sevennight) = a period of seven nights a week
anon = immediately
emme (eam) = uncle; this word is related to the Dutch word "oom", also meaning "uncle"
No comments:
Post a Comment